title: Atrial switch operation in the current era: modifications and pitfalls.
abstract: Although rarely performed today, atrial switch operations continue to have an important role in the management of some forms of congenital heart disease. In developing countries, delayed diagnosis and presentation of patients with transposition of the great arteries is not uncommon. For some patients who are referred for surgery beyond the newborn period, the atrial switch operations are still considered to be the best option. Also, as part of surgical repair of congenitally corrected transposition, an atrial switch operation is combined with arterial switch or the Rastelli procedure as an alternative to physiologic repair. In isolated ventricular inversion (atrioventricular discordance with ventriculoarterial concordance), the atrial switch operation alone leads to complete anatomical correction. Finally, management of late complications of atrial switch operations requires a thorough understanding of the procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Cardiothoracic Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.forename: Vinitha Viswambharan
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Shiv Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.forename: Balram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Airan
keywords: adult congenital heart disease; arterial switch operation; congenital heart disease (CHD); congenital heart surgery